Line spacing device for typewriters



Nov. 13, 1945. cs. PREZIOSO' LINE SPACING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 22, 1945 Patented Nov. 13, 1945 LINE SPACING DEVICE FOR TYPEWRITERS Giuseppe Prezioso, Yverdon, Switzerland, assignor to E. Paillard & Cie S. A., a corporation of Switzerland Application November 22, 1943, Serial No. 511,296 In Switzerland November 26, 1942 3 Claims.

In typewriters, calculating or like machines, the angular rotary displacements of the platen are generally operated by a lever actuated by hand when the end of the line is reached. This lever, pivoted on a part of the carriage, acts by the means of a pawl on a ratchet-wheel fixed to the platen. In these machines, the same lever operates the longitudinal displacement of the carriage at the same time as the angular displacement of the platen.

There are machines in which the movements of the carriage are operated by an electric motor. This latter acts then either by means of a tape passing over the front part of the machine onto the line-space and carriage-return lever, or onto a special lever fixed at the back of the machine, the hand-lever being then omitted.

The present invention refers to a device for controlling the movements of the platen and of the carriage of a machine, enabling these operations to be effected either by hand, by the usual line-space and carriage-return lever, or by mechanical means for instance by a motor through a lever placed at the back of the machine, the two levers acting on the same organs for the transmission of their movements.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically an example of a form of execution of the control device.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a view of a detailed part.

In Fig. 1, l represents the frame of the machine, for instance a typewriter, with carriage rails II, for the carriage I2. The latter has at each end cases |3 which are provided with journal bearing for the platen It. For greater clearness of the drawing the lid of case I3 is oil. In this case [3 is mounted a support l5 on which is pivoted the first interline or space-line lever I6 of usual type for the manual controlling of the line-space and carriage-return. This lever l6 which is bent to form a bell crank acts on the platen M by means of a rod |'i articulated on one side, on its end l8 and, on the other side, on the end of a lever I!) which is loosely mounted on a pin 20 secured to case I3. A second lever 2| having a bent terminal lug 3| and a lateral finger 29, is loosely mounted on the pin 20, and at the end of this lever 2| is articulated a rod 22 connected by its other end with a ring 23' (Fig. 2) loosely mounted on the axis 24 of the platen M. This ring 23 is provided with a pawl 25 subjected to the action of a spring 26. This pawl 25 engages a ratchet-wheel 21 secured to the shaft of platen I4.

The lever I9 is subjected to the action of a return-spring 28 causing it to rotate clockwise;

The rod 22 is subjected to the action of a return-spring 30 causing also lever 2| to rotate clockwise. This lever 2| is provided with the abutment 3| which engages lever l9, as well as another abutment 29.

Another lever 32 loosely mounted on the axis 20 is provided, which is subjected. to the action of a return-spring 33 causing it to turn clockwise. At the end of the lever 32 is articulated a rod 34 connected to a lever 35 secured on a stub shaft 36 which latter is rotatably mounted in the frame of the carriage l2 and at the end of which is secured the second interline or space-line lever 31 for the mechanical or automatic controlling or rotation of the platen, for instance by means of a motor, of a pedal or other means not shown.

The lever 32 is so disposed as to be displaced in the path of the abutment 29 of lever 2| with which it is normally in contact as shown in Fig. 1. Its spring 33' is meant to keep it in the position shown in the drawing, when the abutment 29 is displaced under the action of lever It.

The abutment 3| of lever 2| is so disposed that when the first interline lever I6 is pushed manually in the direction of the arrow A, it causes the lever Hi to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction and to carry lever 2| in the same movement by means of the abutment 3|.

The abutment 29 of lever 2| causes also the rotation of this lever in an anti-clockwise direction, when the lever 31 is pushed in the direction of the arrow B. In this case, the lever I9 and consequently first manual lever I6 remain still.

On the other hand, when the first manual lever I6 is pushed, the levers 32 and consequently 31 remain still.

In either of these two events, the operation of pawl 25 which controls the driving of the platen l4 takes place by the same elements ll, l9, 2|, 22, 23 which constitute a parallelogram.

38 is an abutment limitin the displacement of the space-line pawl 25.

As clearly shown by the foregoing description, the two interline or space-line levers l6 and 31 for the manual and the mechanical actuation of the interline act independently from one another upon the same group of organs of command.

One can naturally provide also another mechanism of transmission than the one described and constituted by a parallelogram of levers.

It is obvious that in order to allow also the return of the carriage otherwise than manually, for instance by a motor acting on lever 31, the

latter can be connected by a tape 39 to an oper ating device subjected to the: action of the motor.

Instead of pivoting the lever 31 on the rear side of the carriage i2, as shown in the drawing, this lever 31 could also pivot on another part of the latter, for instance on the top or on the lateral side.

I claim:

l. A device for the controlling and actuating of the movements of the platen of a typewriter or like machine, the moving part bearing the platen having two interline levers, for line-spacmounting said platen pawl engageably with said platen ratchet, first rod means connected to said mounting means, an actuating lever pivotally connected to said first rod means and having a pair of projecting fingers, pin means for pivotally mounting said actuating lever, a manually operable handle, second rod means connected to said manually operable handle, a first auxiliary lever and a second auxiliary lever pivotally mounted on said pin means, respectively engageably with said projecting fingers, said first auxiliary-lever being ing the platen, one being operated manually, the

pivotally connected to said second rod means, and mechanically actuatable means connected for actuating said second auxiliary lever, said levers being so arranged that either auxiliary lever can be independently actuated to displace said actuating lever in the same direction of movement without afiecting the other said auxiliary lever.

3. Aline spacer according to claim 2, said rod means and levers being so mounted that in their normal operation said rod means respectively constitute opposite parallel sides of a parallelogram of which one other side is constituted of said actuating lever andsaid first auxiliary lever..

GIUSEPPE PREZIOSQ." 

